Ford’s business in China is in the midst of undergoing a major overhaul and strategic changes amid slumping sales and heavy competition. In fact, the automaker just handed over total operations of its Ford Mustang Mach-E business to its 50:50 joint venture with Changan Automobile – Changan Ford – earlier this month after it sold just 268 units of the EV crossover through the month of June. However, Changan Ford has faced its own fair share of struggles, having ranked just average in the 2021 J.D. Power China Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. Now, the 2023 version of that same study has just been released, and it contains more bad news for The Blue Oval’s Chinese joint venture.
This time around, Changan Ford ranked below the mass market average with a score of 717, though it certainly wasn’t alone in that regard. In fact, a large number of its rivals also finished with a score lower than the industry average of 733 – 18 of them in total. Meanwhile, Buick topped this year’s rankings with a score of 755, with many of FoMoCo’s Chinese rivals also beating it out this time around.
The J.D. Power APEAL Study examines owners’ assessments of their new-vehicle experience within the first two to six months of ownership – specifically, their emotional attachment to and level of excitement with their new vehicle. This year’s study found that while overall satisfaction increased over last year, the gap between mass market and premium brands continues to grow as well.
“With the growth of new energy vehicle (NEV) sales, the competition between internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) and NEVs is becoming fiercer,” said Elvis Yang, general manager of auto product practice at J.D. Power China. “Makers of ICE vehicles need to pay more attention to vehicle design and experience to maintain their position. Meanwhile, second- and third-tier cities are the main areas to purchase ICE vehicles. Automakers need to accurately grasp the preferences of this consumer group, optimize configuration experience to increase product appeal.”
We’ll have more on Changan Ford soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for ongoing Ford news coverage.
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